Jesus invites us into the quiet. He wants us to come away with him in the midst of our busy days. The day that Jesus beckoned his disciples, Mark recalls that so many people were coming and going that the disciples and Jesus had no time to eat.

Jesus knew what his disciples needed. And He knows what we need. He wants to connect with us. He longs to offer us the rest we so desperately need, both physically and spiritually.

If you have been following Jesus for very long or have been around church people, you have heard of “having a quiet time.” Today, I want to explore and answer the question of why? Why are we encouraged to have a quiet time? Why does it matter?

The first point that Pam Farrel makes in her book, 30 Ways to Wake Up Your Quiet Time, is that Jesus himself valued quiet time. She wonders aloud about the motivation of this sacred time we call quiet. She poses this question: “Why is it the right thing to do?”

She looks to Jesus’ life and notes three outcomes of Jesus’ time with the Father. (There are more, I’m sure, but these three are a place to start.)

Times that Jesus spent in God’s presence were instructional, relational and powerful.

Here are some insights, Scripture references and questions to ponder from the book:

Instructional:

Jesus knew the Scriptures. Once around age twelve, his parents found him listening and asking questions with the teachers at the temple. (Luke 2:41-47)

“time in the Word is like our physical skeleton, it is the framework on which our whole life is built.”

Relational:

Jesus listened to the Father. Before his ministry began, he spent forty days in the wilderness. “To discipline his heart to hear the voice of the Father. That’s why he knew how to handle Satan’s temptations.” (Luke 4:1-13)

“Like Jesus we need to communicate with the Father continually…”

Powerful:

Jesus’ power to raise Lazarus from the dead and to provide food for the crowds happen in conjunction with praying to the Father. (John 11:41-43, Mark 6:30-44, )

“Jesus wanted a connection. Before all the big moments of his earthly life, he connected to the Father.”

Ponder the following questions,

during a quiet moment today:

What motivates you to spend time with God? Why have you been having a quiet time?

(Italics are either paraphrased summaries or direct quotes from Pam Farrel’s book, 30 Ways to Wake Up Your Quiet Time.)

I could just say Lynn's words all over again. Neglecting it is like neglecting to drink water—or, to take in oxygen! Anything good that happens through me in my life happens by His Spirit's working. I desperately need to keep connected to Him, for that. And I love Him, and He loves me, and so how could I not want to have time alone with my best Beloved Lover of my soul?

Lynn and Slyvia- I like your analogies of sustenance and the very breath of life…Jesus gives life, so spending time with Him is our lifeline, true…I used to have a quiet time to check off a spiritual to do list…but these times have become sweet times of being in His presence…sometimes I still get into a checklist mentality with Jesus or I want him to give me some insight or spiritual kudos…but I am learning that He wants to BE with me…and in the being He reveals His love and His direction for the moment… A

Lynn- I am reluctant to explain the photo. I can tell you that I took the photo at the City Museum here in St. Louis…I would love to hear how it spoke to you…I found it very intriguing and inviting…I like to add photos to my blog that sometimes illustrate the post…this one does so for me in a very whimsical way…I'd love to hear how you and other readers respond to it 🙂

Kel, two things–why do I spend time in the Word? Because, as Lynn and Sylvia said, it is my bread and water, my daily air supply. I also really like the quote about it being the skeleton for our daily life–something to hang the whole of our days on, eh?And your photo? It is a young man offering someone a bouquet of flowers, yes? I think it might be Jesus saying to us, "come away my Beloved and spend time with me. I have something beautiful for you." 🙂

Kel – I read all these and I didn't find any comments – I know I had thoughts as I read each 31 day post – hmmmm….. Must have just kept clicking onward instead of leaving a comment. I have really loved this series with you. Very rich and thought provoking. Looking forward to implementing many of the ideas Pam presents in her book. Hugs,Kelly